The Recent Chicago Bears Promotion That Could Pay Off Huge

The Chicago Bears did right by a number of their members in the scouting department this month, handing out several promotions. It is always a good thing to reward your own people for their hard work. However, there is an agenda behind this approach besides just giving them pay raises. It is an effort to get their expertise into higher positions in order to hopefully improve the overall evaluation of players by the organization. In this regard, there was one promotion in particular that could end up benefitting this team in the not too distant future. That being the elevation of Sam Summerville. Since 2013, he has held the prestigious job of Chicago's Southeast area scout. Anybody who follows college football and the NFL draft knows the highest concentration of future pro talent comes from the southeast. Smart teams put who they feel is their best scout in charge of that region.

"Also in the scouting department, Sam Summerville, with the Bears since 2012, has been promoted from Area Scout to National Scout. Summerville was honored by the Fritz Pollard Alliance in 2019 as the NFC Scout of the Year."

Summerville has lived up to those expectations.

While it isn't entirely clear what the boundaries are of the Bears' southeast region, looking at a common map of the U.S. would suggest he's had a hand in several of their best draft picks dating back to 2014.

• Kyle Fuller (Virginia Tech)
• Pat O'Donnell (Miami)
• Eddie Goldman (Florida State)
• Leonard Floyd (Georgia)
• Nick Kwiatkoski (West Virginia)
• Eddie Jackson (Alabama)
• Tarik Cohen (North Carolina A&T)
• Roquan Smith (Georgia)
• Darnell Mooney (Tulane)

One can make a safe argument that this list encompasses the best draft picks the Bears have made going back six years. Now imagine elevating the man who put it together in Summerville to the rank of national scout. This meaning he'll have his eyes on all prospects moving forward. Not just those from the southeast region. That can only benefit the team. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh2mlHOih6A&ab_channel=ChicagoBears

Chicago Bears draft ability figures to only improve now

Summerville probably should've gotten this promotion sooner but the upheaval in the Bears front office likely led to the delay after GM Phil Emery was fired in 2015. Ryan Pace was a newcomer who had no prior connections to the scouting department. So he'd have to make his own evaluations. Clearly, it didn't take him too long to appreciate how good the scout was at his job. Now as the team prepares to embark on an effort to build around Justin Fields, it makes perfect sense they'd want him in a prominent position. One of the biggest challenges for the Chicago Bears will be maintaining a strong defense even as more resources are devoted to helping Fields. This will require the team to be able to draft quality talent despite not always getting exclusive rights to top draft picks. This is where Summerville's elevation makes even more sense. Additions like Kwiatkoski and Jackson as 4th round picks prove he knows how to find quality defensive talent.

The Mooney pick also offers hope he can help find Fields weapons too.

Summerville is a rising star in the Bears' organization. It wouldn't be a huge surprise if he ends up a GM himself one day. He may end up in the front office for Chicago not too long from now. Something that would only benefit the team further. It will be fascinating to see how this latest promotion impacts their drafting next season.